Disney Wonder Sept 3-7, 2006

[Blackunicorn]

We have 77 days until we board Amtrak for Sunny Florida!!!!!!!!!

I just changed our WDW Land package to Concierge AKL. Has anyone stayed Concierge before? This is my first time...

Concierge! Bill! I got so excited that I had to post! They have a special sunrise safari at Animal Kingdom only for guests who are staying concierge at AKL! We were going to do it, but changed our minds because of the huge number of things we've already packed into our schedule.

Dawn G.

 

[Blackunicorn]

Hey everyone!!! Finally got the cruise paid off and even made ressies for Palo brunch. Yum Boy you guys are chatty, Im lots of pages behind lol.

Taeja-I don't know how to copy and paste I'm technically challenged but our ages as of 9/3 are
me (Suzanne)-39
DH-40
DD-11
DD-8
DD-6
SIL36
BIL-36
DNiece-10
DNephew-6

Where should I start to catch up? Is it too late to contribute to goody bags or order bracelets?

My 8 year old is dying to meet some other girls her age as she's the odd man out with the cousins.

Welcome, Suzanne! Not too late for anything, I was putting off ordering the bracelets a little bit longer in case anyone else joined the list. We still haven't decided on t-shirt designs or anything! Hmmm...now I'm starting to have a panic attack at all the stuff we still need to do...

Your daughter will be in good company, I think we have several girls around that age. My daughter is, and she's very social! I'm starting to be glad that the cruise is only 4 days, because I think I might not get to see my kids much!

I joined the list after 80 pages, and the only way I could catch up was to read the most recent page, and then read 10 pages at a time from the beginning until I got caught up. Of course, now that we're at 160+, I hate to think how long that would take...

Dawn G.

 

[Blackunicorn]

Cruisin' Goodies

Vicki aka Purplern -- 1 girl
Pirate tattoos --144
Pirate stickers -- 100
Pirate flags -- 48
Treasure maps -- 48

TaeJa aka taeja71 -- 2 girls, 1 boy
Plastic bling-bling rings -- 24
Necklaces -- 70
Eyepatches or mustaches

Kerry aka Ker-Bear -- 1 boy
Goody bags
Chocolate coins

Lisa aka LCTsMom and friend Tammy-- 1 girl, 4 boys
Flashing skull magnetic pins -- 24
Pirate hackey sacks -- 24

Jessica aka Luv2Travel -- 1 girl, 2 boys
Bubble gum coins
Skull and bones gummy candy
Pirate earrings and/or pirate necklaces
Kelloggs Pirates of the Caribbean fruit snacks

Dawn G. aka Blackunicorn -- 1 girl, 1 boy
Glow-in-the-dark bracelets -- 40

ReallyFunMom -- 2 boys
Eyepatches
Dubloons
Coin pouches

Suzanne aka suzannef -- 4 girls, 1 boy
Suggestions welcome

Lori aka mom_of_2_princesses -- 2 girls
Suggestions welcome

Items in black have been purchased. I'll add the amounts when I know them.
Items in gray are items that I've been told are being considered.

Need ideas? Want to shop? Check out these websites:

orientaltradingcompany.com -- do a keyword search for pirate or tropical
deadmentellnotales.com
birthdayexpress.com

There are 25 kids signed up for Cruisin' Goodies!
See the cruise list at http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=11940305#post11940305

 

[purplern]

Thanks everyone glad you liked the pictures!
Everyone had a really good time. Today was DD last day of school. She is really excited!

On the Ben subject he was discharged last night at midnight.

 

[NJBILL]

Today is our kids last day of school too..My 11 yr old son made Principals list so I owe him a video game of his choice (small price to pay) If only my son in college would do half as well

We just passed a policy to institute uniforms for next year..should be interesting

 

[taeja71]

I was only kiddiing about the Ben stuff....

My other two passions besides my wife and family are school (I am a second term school board member and past president) and fighting against a Wal-mart SUPERCENTER that they want to build across the street from our development..both very controversial..so we may be better off to staying on topic..however I am very happy to discuss either if asked..

We have two sleeper cars. This will be our third time..Kids love the Train. It takes 20 hours from Philly. A few more than driving but not much. All of our meals are included as well as snacks... Next time we will fly. My one son does not want to (11) but he is coming around,and we do not want to force them if they are not comfortable...

I hear NJ school rankings are very good or pretty high. Sadly, Indiana is ranked pretty low. Its very sad.

Wow having a SuperWalmart is a hot topic, but having a SW across the street from you would be even tougher. All the traffic, another traffic light to go through. Wow. I feel for you. You know Walmart is trying to take over the world right? One Walmart in town has already built and moved out of two buildings. Just now, the first building they abandoned is being converted into another retail store. The second store is still vacant and their new home (the SuperWalmart) is always busy.


Bill, I just saw your post about uniforms. Oh, that will be an interesting venture. I think $$ wise, kids wearing uniform colors w/ modest clothing would be a nice compromise. I hate having another set of clothes for the kids.

Congratulations to you all who survived this school year!

 

[purplern]

Roethlisberger issues statement
Thursday, June 15, 2006

Ben Roethlisberger was released from Mercy Hospital shortly before midnight on Thursday, less than three full days after being transported there by paramedics after a motorcycle accident.

Now continuing his recuperation at home with his family at his side, Roethlisberger issued the following statement:

"In the past few days, I have gained new perspective on life. By the grace of God, I am fortunate to be alive, surrounded by loved ones and lifted by the prayers and support of so many. I am sorry for any anxiety and concern my actions have caused others, specifically my family, the Steelers organization, my teammates and our fans.

"I recognize that I have a responsibility to safeguard my health in the offseason so I can continue to lead our team effectively. I never meant any harm to others nor to break any laws. I was confident in my ability to ride a motorcycle and simply believed such an accident would not happen to me. If I ever ride again, it certainly will be with a helmet.

"My deepest appreciation goes out to the Steelers organization and my teammates for the compassion they have shown me. The physicians and support staff at Mercy Hospital were simply amazing, and I will forever be grateful for their caring treatment.

"I want to assure everyone I am committed to a complete and timely recovery. I look forward to being at training camp in Latrobe and to winning football games this season."

 

[NJBILL]

I hear NJ school rankings are very good or pretty high. Sadly, Indiana is ranked pretty low. Its very sad.

Wow having a SuperWalmart is a hot topic, but having a SW across the street from you would be even tougher. All the traffic, another traffic light to go through. Wow. I feel for you. You know Walmart is trying to take over the world right? One Walmart in town has already built and moved out of two buildings. Just now, the first building they abandoned is being converted into another retail store. The second store is still vacant and their new home (the SuperWalmart) is always busy.


Bill, I just saw your post about uniforms. Oh, that will be an interesting venture. I think $$ wise, kids wearing uniform colors w/ modest clothing would be a nice compromise. I hate having another set of clothes for the kids.

Congratulations to you all who survived this school year!

We have pretty good community support for the school uniforms,but a segment clearly was not happy. It is not a traditional uniform. We just restricted the color (blue,white ,gold) polo's (no logos or patterns) and Kaki an blue pants or skirts.
NJ does have a good record overall for schools,however it varies greatly by district and the socioeconomics of the communities. Nj has the distinction of having the poorest and most affluent towns in all of the usa.
I have no personal objections to Wal-mart as some folks do. My concern is the traffic cutting through our development and putting our kids at risk.

 

[LCTsMom]

The school district in NJ where I was from was wonderful! Teacher salaries were probably double what the teachers in my current school district make. The schools here have gotten such a bad rap for so many years that they are pushing the kids to bring up their grades. For the most part, my kids have received a really good education and we've found some amazing teachers along the way.

My kids have gone to schools with uniforms (I hate them), as well as strict dress codes, and schools with nothing more than regulated dress guidelines. From a volunteer's standpoint, I don't really see a difference in what the kids wear as far as behavior goes. I understand that some clothing is just not appropriate, but that can be controlled as well. The uniform issue is definitely one of many heated debates.

 

[Ker-Bear]

We have pretty good community support for the school uniforms,but a segment clearly was not happy. It is not a traditional uniform. We just restricted the color (blue,white ,gold) polo's (no logos or patterns) and Kaki an blue pants or skirts.

Can you come to SC and help me get this? My school district is one of the best in SC (I know not much of an achievement but one nonetheless) We live in a good area with "higher income levels" No one wants a more standardized dress code. Why not I firmly believe it would be beneficial. I wouldn't have to fight with DS regarding what he wears to school everyday. Plus, I get sick of the sloppiness. We have to teach our kids some better clothing habits. I'm scard of what he will want to wear when he is a teenager!

 

[Ker-Bear]

Roethlisberger issues statement
Thursday, June 15, 2006

Ben Roethlisberger was released from Mercy Hospital shortly before midnight on Thursday, less than three full days after being transported there by paramedics after a motorcycle accident.

Now continuing his recuperation at home with his family at his side, Roethlisberger issued the following statement:

"In the past few days, I have gained new perspective on life. By the grace of God, I am fortunate to be alive, surrounded by loved ones and lifted by the prayers and support of so many. I am sorry for any anxiety and concern my actions have caused others, specifically my family, the Steelers organization, my teammates and our fans.

"I recognize that I have a responsibility to safeguard my health in the offseason so I can continue to lead our team effectively. I never meant any harm to others nor to break any laws. I was confident in my ability to ride a motorcycle and simply believed such an accident would not happen to me. If I ever ride again, it certainly will be with a helmet.

"My deepest appreciation goes out to the Steelers organization and my teammates for the compassion they have shown me. The physicians and support staff at Mercy Hospital were simply amazing, and I will forever be grateful for their caring treatment.

"I want to assure everyone I am committed to a complete and timely recovery. I look forward to being at training camp in Latrobe and to winning football games this season."

Let me help everyone. This really means:

"I do not want to lose my multi-million dollar contract. I will wear a helmet so I do not lose my multi-million dollar contract. Thank you for paying me millions of dollars to throw a football. I will wear a helmet"

 

[NJBILL]

Can you come to SC and help me get this? My school district is one of the best in SC (I know not much of an achievement but one nonetheless) We live in a good area with "higher income levels" No one wants a more standardized dress code. Why not I firmly believe it would be beneficial. I wouldn't have to fight with DS regarding what he wears to school everyday. Plus, I get sick of the sloppiness. We have to teach our kids some better clothing habits. I'm scard of what he will want to wear when he is a teenager!

It may not be as hard as you think.....(Maybe). I am not familiar with SC law, but things get done in school via the members of the school board. You can do a little research on the internet and compose a letter stating why you think they are beneficial. Send the letter to the Superintendent and the Board President. See What thier response is.. the next step would be to gather some signatures from the parents in the school and present it to the Superintendent. About (4) years ago this issue was raised and it was struck down at the Board Level without much thought. Today, it sems to make more sense given the current trends in our society.

Let me caution you, to not believe that uniforms are the "fix" to your academic or behavioral issues. Uniforms have been shown to help when concurrently implemented with other changes,such as improved curriculmn,teacher accountability,and stricter discipline policies. They must work hand in hand together. Simply putting a child in different clothes alone is not the answer. If you are going to push your Board for uniforms,push for the other things too,as you may find they also may need improvement.

 

[Ker-Bear]

Bill,

That makes sense. I absolutely love my school. I do not believe we have problems in our school regarding any of those matters. I have found the teachers and administrators to be excellent. As for middle or high school, I don't know.

I just like the concept of standardized dress code. In my area, we have varying degrees of wealth. I think as they get older, it would be ideal to remove some of the peer pressure to conform and concede to the proganda that the marketing execs put out. If you were used to "uniforms" at a younger age, you probably wouldn't question it as much when you were older. In addition, in high school-I want DS focused on school work. Not the cute cheerleaders short skirt. And yes I realize she shouldn't be wearing a short skirt but let's be real. Have you seen what they wear nowadays. And I'm not that old!

 

[LCTsMom]

I think there are varying degrees of wealth in most school districts, especially amongst public school children. I have found that unforms do nothing to gap the barriers between kids, nor do they eliminate peer pressure. You can still tell who has the money and who doesn't. It takes more than clothes to bridge that gap. And sadly, when you find out what the girls (not just the cheerleaders) are doing in the locker rooms (with or without short skirts) you would be in total shock! I am not exaggerating! Uniforms won't change that either.

I guess I've been lucky. My two boys have always made excellent clothing choices on their own, since they were in elementary school. I actually like their taste in clothing. Now my daughter....she may be a totally different story. I just feel that I won't buy anything that I can't live with, so that it's not an option for her to wear it. Goodness help her if she brings it into this house on her own, I'll take the scissors to it right in front of her. The control really does fall on the parents.

 

[purplern]

Let me help everyone. This really means:

"I do not want to lose my multi-million dollar contract. I will wear a helmet so I do not lose my multi-million dollar contract. Thank you for paying me millions of dollars to throw a football. I will wear a helmet"

 

[purplern]

We went kayaking today on the river!! Boy was that fun! It was our first but not last time!!!

 

[LCTsMom]

We went kayaking today on the river!! Boy was that fun! It was our first but not last time!!!

Awesome pics! Looks like a lot of fun! We went kayaking for the first time last year and we LOVED it! I can't wait to go back!

One of my best friends is in Pittsburgh visiting her folks this week. I'll have to show her your pics!

 

[mom_of_2_princesses]

Hi everyone,

Is anyone just going to do a little shopping in Nassau? My friend and myself were thinking of doing this and letting the older DD and DH go do an excursion. Is it safe for us to shop alone?

 

[purplern]

Awesome pics! Looks like a lot of fun! We went kayaking for the first time last year and we LOVED it! I can't wait to go back!

One of my best friends is in Pittsburgh visiting her folks this week. I'll have to show her your pics!

Thanks!!! It was fun Amanda really liked it! We will have to do it again!

 

[taeja71]

Hi everyone,

Is anyone just going to do a little shopping in Nassau? My friend and myself were thinking of doing this and letting the older DD and DH go do an excursion. Is it safe for us to shop alone?

I think you will be fine shopping in Nassau. The shops are fine, but its the streets you have to be leery of. Imagine being TJ across the San Diego border. There, now you are Nassau except you are surrounded by Nassau natives/peddlers.

Personally, I won't be getting off the ship. I'd rather stay on board. I'll be coordinating a Nassau day meet near one of the pools (probably the goofy pool.). The only event I have planned on Nassau day is to take the bridge tour. I'll be rushing like a mad woman to the desk to sign up (on embarkation day). I don't know what times the tours are given (haven't been able to find times listed on the recent Wonder Navigators). Who said meeting in the mid morning would work for them? It sounds good to me. I just plan on laying in a lounge chair and enjoying the ship's view.

If any of the above information is reduntant, forgive me. I'll look at my post again later. Hope you all are having a Father's Day!

Happy Father's day dads!